NEC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sharn Hayward, Stonehill
Guard, Senior, 5-6, Penguin, Tasmania/Marist Regional College
For the first time in her career, Hayward netted 20-plus points in consecutive outings to highlight Stonehill’s first-ever trip out West. The 5-foot-6 guard averaged 21.0 points on 37.9 percent shooting from the field (11-of-29) and 86.7 percent shooting from the free throw line (13-of-15) to lead the Skyhawks to a 1-1 record during that stretch. In addition, she added 4.0 boards and 2.5 dimes per contest. Hayward delivered a stellar outing on Wednesday to fuel Stonehill’s come-from-behind 89-86 win at Utah State. Playing every single minute, the Tasmania native drained five three-pointers to lead four Skyhawks in twin figures with 22 points. She added five rebounds and a career-high five assists to that stat line. Two days later, Hayward followed that performance with a 20-point effort against UNLV, the reigning Mountain West champions. With three straight double-figure scoring games, the veteran leads Stonehill and is second in the circuit in scoring with 15.5 points per game. She also ranks second in the NEC in three-point field goal percentage (.303) and made three-pointers (2.5 per game).
NEC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Ava Renninger, FDU
Guard, Freshman, 5-6, Yardley, PA/Archbishop Wood
Renninger’s impressive start to her collegiate play resulted in the first-year guard taking home NEC Rookie of the Week honors for the second time in as many weeks. The Yardley, PA native averaged 12.5 points and 4.5 rebounds in a week that saw the Knights split a pair of non-conference games. Cracking the starting five for the first time in her career on Wednesday against Bucknell, Renninger contributed seven points in 30 minutes to help FDU score a 67-56 win and improve to 4-0 on the season for the program’s best start since 1991-92. On Sunday, the guard put up solid numbers at Syracuse, going 8-of-13 from the field for a team-high 18 points against the ACC squad. Renninger has scored in double figures in all but one game this season, and with 14.6 points per game, she leads FDU and is third in the NEC in scoring.
NEC PRIME PERFORMERS
Abaigeal Babore, FDU (G, Gr.)
Babore had a stat-stuffer of a week for FDU after she averaged 9.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists in a pair of games. Helping the Knights jump out to a 4-0 start for the first time since 1991-92 by contributing 13 points, six boards and a trio of dimes in Wednesday’s 67-56 win over Bucknell, the graduate guard tallied five points, seven rebounds and eight assists at Syracuse on Sunday.
Teneisia Brown, FDU (F/C, Gr.)
Brown nearly averaged a double-double (10.0 ppg, 9.5 rpg) in the Knights’ 1-1 week that featured a 67-56 win against Bucknell on Wednesday and a 77-58 defeat at Syracuse on Sunday. That stretch was highlighted by a 13-point, 11-rebound effort in the mid-week victory that pushed FDU’s record to 4-0 for the program’s best start since 1991-92.
Lilly Parke, FDU (F, Jr.)
Behind sharp shooting from long range, Parke helped FDU post a 1-1 record last week after she averaged a team-leading 15.5 points per game. Combining to shoot 50.0 percent from three (6-of-12), the junior forward netted a team-high 17 points in Wednesday’s mid-week win over Bucknell before she dropped 14 points at Syracuse on Sunday.
Haedyn Roberts, LEM (F, Gr.)
In Le Moyne’s lone game of the week, Roberts tallied 13 points and six boards in a 71-55 setback at Illinois State on Sunday. The graduate forward reached a major career milestone in the game, becoming the 23rd player in program history to register 500 rebounds.
Janessa Williams, LIU (G, So.)
Williams put up double figures in each of LIU’s games last week after she dropped a career-high 17 points against Rider on Tuesday and followed that performance with a 12-point effort against Manhattan on Thursday. Draining five threes during that stretch, the Sharks’ leading scorer came one rebound shy of her first career double-double after pulling down a career-high nine caroms against the Broncs.
Bailey Kuhns, MU (F, Jr.)
Kuhns registered back-to-back 16-point outings for Mercyhurst in a win over Davis & Elkins on Tuesday and a defeat at Xavier on Friday. The junior forward shot 60.0 percent from the field in the mid-week victory after making 6-of-10 buckets.
Jenna Van Schaik, MU (G, Jr.)
Van Schaik put up solid offensive numbers after she combined to shoot a blistering 54.5 percent (12-of-22) from the field over a two-game stretch for Mercyhurst last week. Registering 13 points and five boards in a 67-51 win over Davis & Elkins, the junior guard put up a career-high 22 points in a defeat at Big East member Xavier on Friday.
Sharn Hayward, STO (G, Sr.)
Hayward led all NEC scorers last week after she averaged 21.0 points in a pair of road games for the Skyhawks. Knocking down seven triples while shooting 86.7 percent from the charity stripe (13-of-15), the senior guard netted 22 points in Stonehill’s come-from-behind 89-86 win at Utah State on Wednesday before she dropped a game-high 20 points at reigning Mountain West champion UNLV on Friday. Hayward was also named the NEC Player of the Week.
Kylie Swider, STO (C, Gr.)
In Stonehill’s road swing that featured stops in Utah and Nevada, Swider, a transfer from Villanova, averaged 12.0 points on 47.6 percent shooting from the field (10-of-21) while adding 7.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists per contest for the Skyhawks. The graduate center was sensational in her team’s 89-86 win at Utah State, notching her first career double-double (19 points, 10 rebounds) after going 9-of-15 from the field while contributing three dimes and a block.
#NECWBB BY THE NUMBERS
23 - FDU won its first four games of 2024-25, marking the program’s best start in 23 years when the Knights went 4-0 in 1991-92.
20 - Stonehill guard Sharn Hayward became the first NEC player to net 20 points in consecutive outings after scoring 22 vs. Utah State and 20 vs. UNLV.
39 - Sponsoring the sport for the first time in 1986-87, the NEC tipped off its 39th women’s basketball season this past week.
1 - For the first time in program history, FDU was picked to win it all in 2024-25, according to the NEC Preseason Coaches’ Poll.
#NECWBB FAST BREAK
CENTRAL CONNECTICUT: Central Connecticut has been playing without three-year starter and Preseason All-NEC selection Belle Lanpher.
CHICAGO STATE: Chicago State continues a three-game homestand by hosting Western Illinois and NIU this week.
FDU: FDU leads the league in three-point field goals, averaging 8.4 makes per game.
LE MOYNE: Le Moyne graduate forward Haedyn Roberts became the 23rd player in program history to register 500 boards vs. Illinois State.
LIU: Averaging a team-best 12.8 ppg, LIU guard Janessa Williams has more than tripled her scoring production from last season (3.6 ppg).
MERCYHURST: Netting twin figures in each of Mercyhurst's four games this season, junior forward Bailey Kuhns leads all NEC scorers with 16.5 points per game.
SAINT FRANCIS U: Saint Francis U freshman guard Airah Lavy enjoyed a breakout performance against Loyola (Md.) after dropping 16 points.
STONEHILL: In its first-ever trip out West, Stonehill registered the program's best offensive performance since transitioning to Division I in 2022-23 after scoring a come-from-behind, 89-86 win at Utah State.
WAGNER: Wagner enters the week as the league's top three-point shooting squad after combining to go 36.7 percent through three games.
#NECWBB NEWS & NOTES FROM WEEK #2
WHAT’S ON TAP?
Eight of nine NEC teams will hit the hardwood during the third week of the 2024-25 campaign. Le Moyne is the lone team that will not be in action this week.
The slate features a handful of ‘local’ rivalries, beginning on Wednesday night when Central Connecticut heads to Fairfield, and Saint Francis U travels to Robert Morris. Later in the week, FDU, which takes on No. 2 UConn on Monday, will play host to fellow Garden State foe Saint Peter’s on Saturday.
FOUR-IN-A-ROW
For the first time since 1991-92, FDU opened the season with four-straight victories. Taking down Dominican to begin the campaign, the Knights went on to rally for wins against American, Mount St. Mary’s and most recently, Bucknell. FDU’s hot streak came to an end on Sunday, when the Knights took on ACC member Syracuse.
The last time the Knights began a season with wins in their first four contests, they finished the season with a 23-6 record, which included the NEC Tournament title.
FDU’S REVENGE TOUR
It may be early, but it seems that a lot has changed in Hackensack in just one short year.
Opening the season with a win over Division II member Dominican, the Knights hit the road and knocked off American (62-59) followed by former NEC member Mount St. Mary’s (63-59). A year ago, FDU lost to both of those teams — at home — by respective 63-57 and 64-50 finals.
The Knights’ revenge tour continued into the second week of the season, as FDU avenged last season’s 49-44 loss to Bucknell by defeating the Bison, 67-56, on Wednesday.
THE SKYHAWKS FLY WEST
For the first time in their Division I era, the Skyhawks trekked west of the Mississippi where they made stops in Utah and Nevada to face Utah State and UNLV.
The trip proved to be a successful one, as Stonehill came away with a thrilling 89-86 victory over the Trailblazers.
The 89 points marked the team’s highest scoring output since they made the jump to Division I and joined the NEC for the 2022-23 campaign.
Stonehill shot 50 percent from the floor and buried 11 three-pointers over the final three quarters to erase a 17-point deficit and secure the win. During that stretch, the Skyhawks shot a sizzling 47.8 percent from long range.
The Skyhawks went on to fall at UNLV, the defending Mountain West champions, to close out the road trip.
GAITLEY’S BIG MILESTONE
FDU second-year head coach Stephanie Gaitley picked up her 700th career victory as a Division I women’s basketball coach earlier this month when her Knights scored a nail-biting road 62-59 victory at American (Nov. 8).
Gaitley, who ranks sixth in victories among all active NCAA women’s basketball coach with 702 triumphs, became the 17th coach in NCAA Division I women’s basketball history to reach the 700-win plateau. In addition, the 39th-year head coach is the first to turn the trick while coaching at six different programs throughout her career, and she is just the second to record 700 victories without making a stop at a Power Five program.
Gaitley has spent 11 of her 39 years as a head coach in the NEC with stops at LIU Brooklyn (2002-2008), Monmouth (2008-2011) and FDU (2023-present). She led Monmouth to the NEC title game and a WNIT appearance, and piloted LIU Brooklyn to a first-place finish and a WNIT berth.
SEEING DOUBLE DOUBLE-DOUBLES
For the first time this season, two NEC teammates notched double-double performances in the same game in Stonehill’s thrilling 89-86 come-from-behind win at Utah State.
Graduate center Kylie Swider (Portsmouth, RI/Tabor Academy (Villanova)) and senior forward Maureen Stapleton (Spring Lake Heights, NJ/St. Rose) each turned the trick for the first time in their respective careers to pace the Skyhawks.
Swider posted career highs with 19 points on 9-of-15 shooting and 10 rebounds, while Stapleton pulled down 11 boards to go along with a career-high 12 points on a perfect 5-of-5 clip from the floor. Stapleton also stuffed the stat sheet with six assists and a career-best three rejections.
THE ROARING TWENTIES
Stonehill senior guard Sharn Hayward (Penguin, Tasmania/Marist Regional College), the reigning NEC Player of the Week, became the first NEC hooper this season to string together consecutive 20-point outings.
Dropping a team-high 22 points in the Skyhawks’ three-point triumph over Utah State on Wednesday, the guard hit the mark again on Friday after she tied a game high in scoring with 20 points at UNLV, last year’s Mountain West champion.
Hayward entered the season with two 20-point outings to her name.
KUHNS CAN SCORE
Mercyhurst junior Brady Kuhns (Mount Pleasant, PA/Greensburg Central Catholic) has made the transition to Division I look pretty easy.
The forward has scored in double figures in each of the Lakers’ four games this season and she enters the week leading the league with 16.3 points per game.
Most impressive, Kuhns has performed at an elite level against some stiff competition this season. Her season high of 20 points came in the Lakers’ season opener, a date at Notre Dame on Nov. 4. She followed that performance up with a 16-point outing two days later at Big East foe DePaul. When facing another Big East opponent in Xavier last week (Nov. 15), Kuhns was once again up for the challenge, as she dropped 16 points.
Against high-major competition this season, she is averaging 17.3 points per contest.
PERFECTION FOR BABORE
FDU graduate guard Abaigeal Babore (Merchantville, NJ/Paul VI (Eckerd)) has been spot on from the free-throw line this season, going a perfect 18-of-18 over five games this season.
She is one of 32 players in NCAA Division I to be perfect from the charity stripe this season, however, she is just one of four players on that list to have 18-or-more attempts this season.
MORE WEEK #2 NOTABLES
- Stonehill’s 89 points against Utah Tech are the most by an NEC squad in a game this season.
- The Skyhawks drained 12 three-pointers against the Trailblazers, an NEC-best mark in 2024-25.
- Saint Francis U rookie guard Airah Lavy (Nelsonville, OH/Nelsonville-York) more than doubled her point total on the season in her most recent outing after she dropped a career-high 16 points on 5-of-7 shooting against Loyola (MD).
- FDU rookie Ava Rennington (Yardley, PA/Archbishop Wood) has made a splash in her first five games as a Knight, leading the team in scoring while ranking third in the conference with 14.6 ppg.
2024-25 NEC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL WEEKLY AWARD WINNERS
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Nov. 11: Teneisia Brown (FDU)
Nov. 18: Sharn Hayward (Stonehill)
Nov. 25:
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Nov. 11: Ava Renninger (FDU)
Nov. 18: Ava Renninger (FDU)
Nov. 25: